Our Vision for History at Jupiter Primary School

We are not makers of history. We are made by history.

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

History at Jupiter Primary School fills children with enthusiasm and curiosity. Staff bring lessons to life with a variety of practical activities, costumes and props. History is well resourced and children have access to a range of high quality, real physical resources, documents and artefacts, as well as opportunities to hear from visitors, who share their past experiences and knowledge. Children have opportunities to re-enact history including through first hand experiences, visits and themed days, which allow them to examine how the arts, cuisine, fashion, education and culture have changed through the ages.

History experiences are offered across the curriculum, such as through novels or picture books with an historical theme as part of English lessons, money and measurements in Maths, historical discoveries which moved Science on etc. Children use a variety of sources of information, including books, online resources, recounts and artefacts to discover information about the past. British values are woven through the curriculum and children are encouraged to discuss and consider the lessons to be learned from history in age-appropriate philosophical debate, thus building intrigue. The children apply their critical thinking and use of evidence in extended writing, adding their own perspective and judgement in drawing conclusions, based on their higher order historical thinking skills.

At various points throughout the year, the curriculum is enhanced through a whole school focus on an element of History. For example, through remembrance, Black History Month, V.E. Day celebrations and the anniversaries of other significant events of people. Staff keep subject knowledge up to date through relevant training and research. The History Lead shares good practice with other schools both within the Trust and beyond.

By the time children leave the school they have a secure understanding of when significant periods and events occurred in history and can order them with other time periods. They have had the opportunity to study the stories and lives of real people from a range of cultures thoughout history. They share a knowledge of songs from different time periods. Children can explain how their local area has changed and developed over time.

Our History Curriculum

History at Jupiter Primary School inspires children’s curiosity, encourages them to ask critical questions and enables them to have a better understanding of their own community and society and that of the wider world. During their time at Jupiter, children have the opportunity to research, investigate, relive and understand History from local, national and international perspectives. Throughout, they consider connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. They work as historians, learning how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of different sources and to view these critically. Over time, children gain a sense of their own identity within a social, political, cultural and economic context. 

During their time in the Early Years, our children develop their understanding of the concept of change over time, exploring their own lives and those of their families within living memory, as well as local, national and international events or celebrations. Throughout Key Stage 1, children develop an awareness of the past. They learn about significant individuals who have contributed to national and international achievements and about significant historical events beyond living memory that are nationally or globally significant, such as The Great Fire of London. In Key Stage 2, children continue to develop understanding of history in a chronological context, learning about the impact and implications of British and world history.